Sonic the Hedgehog
by PokemonMaster32g
Summary: Teenager Connor is given the extraordinary power to transform into an anthropomorphic hedgehog that can run at the speed of sound. While struggling to discover the secret behind his parents' death, he tries to win the heart of his high school crush. The unraveling of the past will ultimately form his path to becoming "Sonic The Hedgehog," but will force him to face a deadly foe.
1. Discovery

Jeff and Darla didn't want their son to have only two limbs, but he did. They wished he could walk on two fully functioning legs, but he couldn't. Connor was once a troublemaker, but the trauma of having both legs ripped off his body changed something inside him. He became depressed, anxious, and moody. They were desperate for him to be happy again. They knew none of his meds or equipment could do so.

By the time Connor could walk, they knew he would be a runner. As a baby, he would crawl and crawl for what seemed like forever. After learning to walk, he would push himself to go further, no matter how many times he fell down. They could see a fighter in him.

Jeff and Darla were archeologists. Jeff remembered when he first saw Darla. They'd met on a site underground, looking for an ancient artifact—the Master Emerald. They were obsessed with finding it. They knew that with the existence of the Chaos Emeralds, the Master Emerald would exist too. They heard stories—legends—of its power, and how it was even more powerful than the seven Chaos Emeralds. This led them to the theory that it could control the Chaos Emeralds.

One night, when Connor was seven, Jeff received a phone call while reviewing his research. It came with big news: the Master Emerald had been found on an island in the Atlantic known as Christmas Island (a nickname given to it for being found on December 25th).

Jeff immediately told Darla the news. She was watching TV with Connor, who was munching on his favorite thing to eat, a chili dog. Christmas decorations were spread all across the room, and reach further into the house. Empire City became one of the most beautiful cities in the world this time of year.

"Darla, I need to tell you something," Jeff said, quietly whispering into her ear.

"What is it?" she asked as she looked at him.

Jeff couldn't contain his excitement. "They found it."

Darla's look if confusion was replaced by a look of happiness. "The…the…"

Jeff nodded.

"Honey, that's great!" she said, reaching up to give him a hug.

"Yeah, but there's something else."

"What?"

"They want us to look at it right away."

Darla looked at the happy and content Connor. "But what about him?"

"We won't be gone long, I think," Jeff assured her. "He'll be fine."

"But you know how he is when we're not with him," she reminded him. "He gets scared."

Jeff took her aside where Connor couldn't hear them. "Darla, the Master Emerald will most likely have the power to… get Connor his legs back. It could cure diseases. Its power is limitless. And now we know where it is."

Darla looked back at Connor. "He'll be so happy…"

"Exactly. We have to do this."

Darla sighed. "He'll miss us."

"It'll all be worth it," said Jeff. "I'll call my parents and ask if he can stay with them."

"They'll say yes?"

"They always do."

They practically sped when they drove to Jeff's parents' house. Connor waited near the corner of his grandparents' living room as his mom and dad sat in the dining room, discussing the discovery of the Master Emerald and that Connor needed to be taken care of. Connor's grandmother caught his eye and smiled at him, and Connor smiled back. He liked staying with Grandpa Gene and Granny Wilma, sometimes.

After they made out a plan, Jeff kneeled in squatted next to Connor and his wheelchair to talk to him.

"Connor, Mom and I are gonna be gone for awhile, so you're gonna stay here with Grandma and Grandpa, okay?"

"But I wanna go with you," Connor protested. "You promised."

"I know I did," Jeff said. "When you're older, you will. Good things come to those who wait."

Connor hugged his dad. "Please…"

Jeff peeled his son's arms from his shoulders. "Don't forget your meds, and rub your stumps."

"But it hurts," Connor whined.

Jeff chuckled and stood up. "We're leaving soon," he told Darla.

Jeff's wife picked Connor up from his wheelchair and gave him a big hug. "Make sure you do everything Granny and Grandpa tell you, okay?"

"Okay," Connor struggled to say.

Darla set him back down and went out the door with Jeff. Connor rolled over to it and watched his parents get in the car. He had no idea that he would never see them again.

* * *

Christmas Island was a beautiful place. It was uninhabited by humans, so animals like birds and insects roamed freely. Jeff, Darla, and a few other archeologists were led to a cave that was deep in the jungle. The entrance led them to a sprawling underground maze that took them literally two days to figure out. The whole time Jeff thought of Connor. What was he doing? _How_ was he doing? Jeff knew these trips took a toll on Connor. What if they didn't make it home? No, he couldn't think of that. Now it was time to solve the mystery of the Master Emerald.

The group came to a large chamber that was illuminated by the light of crystals, which was coming from the light of the Emerald. It was positioned a few inches off a rock in the middle of a large pool of water. The group had no choice but to swim to see it. They tried to ignore the discomfort of their wet clothes as well as the worry that the contents of their packs got wet. Jeff fell to his knees at the large, cyan-colored gem in front of him. This discovery would change the world. This discovery would change his life.

He got in closer to the Emerald and peered inside. He thought he could see two blank, yellow eyes staring at him, with some sort of pink stone above them.

"Leeeeave heeeere," a deep, stark voice reverberated through the chamber.

Jeff turned to Darla, fear-stricken. "Did you hear that?" he asked her.

"Hear what?" she asked.

"That voice!"

She shook her head.

The voice spoke again. "_Leeeeeeeeeeeeeave heeeeeeeeeeeeere!_"

The Emerald started to crack. They yellow eyes inside it began to glow. Then, to Jeff's horror, the Emerald split into pieces and unleashed something. It was some kind of humanoid being. It, along with the pieces of the Emerald, fell to the floor. The monster landed with a _plop_. Its body was watery and was the same color of the Emerald. The goup just stood there, frozen in fear.

"My name, Chaos…" the monster said, "remember it, for it will be the last name you shall remember."

"Chaos" stood up and threw a punch at a member of the group. Its arm stretched in order to reach him. The archeologist fell into the water, along with a piece of the Master Emerald. It sank to the bottom of the pool and was sucked into a hole, like the drain of a bathtub.

Chaos grabbed two more archeologists with its large hands and smashed their bodies together, killing them. It grabbed Darla and smashed her body into the ground, killing her also.

Jeff staggered backward at the sight of the death of the love of his life. "No…" he said. He locked eyes with Chaos. The monster began taking steps toward him.

"You are afraid," it said. "Good."

Jeff tried to dive into the pool to escape, but Chaos grabbed his ankle and pulled him out. Jeff squirmed in Chaos' Tight grip. Chaos wrapped its other hand around his head and started squeezing.

Jeff had broken his promise to Connor… He knew it…

"You cannot have the Emerald," the monster growled. "I am its guardian, fool." It then threw Jeff's lifeless body into the pool.

The pieces of the Master Emerald began to form back together, except for one piece. Chaos stared at the empty slot in anger.

"_Where is it?!_" it yelled in rage. It dived in the pool to the hole in pursuit of it.

**Well, here it is—the reboot! I'm sorry that Chaos's origin story is different from the one from the games. Speaking of origin stories, I'm sorry if you're a fan of the comics and Connor/Sonic's origin angered you. I try to base these stories only on the game canon. Anyway, what this story will do is lead up to a fic featuring both Connor/Sonic and Matthew/Shadow from **_**Shadow the Hedgehog**_**.**


	2. Connor's Birthday

_8 Years Later_

Connor Ford got back in his wheelchair and scooted out the bathroom stall. He stopped at the sinks to wash his hands. He got as close as he could and locked his wheels, then stood up on his stumps. He was just tall enough to see the reflection of his head in the mirror. He was what you would call a "pretty boy," with a handsome face that had traces of facial hair. His eyes were a sky blue color, and he had short brown hair. As always, his cheeks were pink and rosy. He had a couple moles here and there on his face, with a small one under his nose and slightly larger one near his chin. He stared at himself as he leaned forward and washed his hands. He didn't see a pretty boy at all. He saw a sad-looking 15-year-old. Connor rinsed off his hands and tried to plaster on a smile. It was forced at first, but soon he got it to feel happy and natural. He moved over to the side of the bathroom where the paper towels were and dried his hands. He gripped the handle of the door and took a deep breath.

_Just smile,_ he told himself. Of course, he didn't have to roll around the school with a big grin on his face. He just had to look happy. He opened the door and went out.

Connor attended Francis Howard High in Empire City. He was an average student, passing all of his classes but not having straight A's. He was a sophomore, and he was turning 16 soon. In fact, today was his birthday, so that meant he _was_ 16. He considered himself to be in the middle of the social ladder. He wasn't that popular, and he didn't face that much bullying. Occasionally some jerk would make a snide comment about his lack of legs, but he did his best to ignore them. It took a lot of time when he was younger, but he eventually made himself believe that having no legs made him special. "God doesn't make mistakes," Granny Wilma always said.

The halls were jam-packed with other kids Connor's age trying to make it to class on time. Connor slowly maneuvered around them. Sometimes someone would bump into him and turn his wheelchair in an unwanted direction, but he learned to handle it. The other kids he grew up with never gave him any special treatment because he was handicapped, and he appreciated that. He didn't need people feeling sorry for him. What happened had happened, and he knew nothing could change that.

The hallway traffic trimmed down, and Connor made it to his locker. He opened it and, just like using the skink, got as close as he could before standing on his stumps to reach his things. When he first got this locker, the janitor lowered the plate that books and whatnot were put on. Connor didn't even think that was possible. It was better than just putting his stuff on the bottom. He got his things out and put them in the sack behind his wheelchair.

"Hey! Connor!" he heard someone yell.

He closed his locker and saw his best friend Miles Prower, a freshmen, hurriedly walking toward him. Miles looked like a true nerd. He had red hair and freckles all over his face. He wore oversized braces that made his speech sound funny.

Connor put on that smile and turned towards him. "Hey, buddy. How's it going?"

"Pretty good. You?"

"Yeah, me, too. Hey, guess what day it is."

Miles blinked. "Friday?"

"What? No!" laughed Connor. "It's my birthday!"

"Oh. Uh, I knew that."

"Sure you did," Connor said, moving his wheelchair back and forth.

Miles set his backpack on the floor and frantically searched its pockets. "Aha!" he said as he pulled out an envelope. He held it out to Connor. "Here you go, Connor. I hope you like it."

Connor took the envelope and examined it. It was thick and heavy, like a lot of stuff had been put in it. Was it money? He opened the envelope and pulled out what was inside: photos of different models of airplanes. Some were in color, some were in black and white.

"Like it?" Connor said. "I… I love it!"

Miles smiled ear to ear from that response. "Is the party still at your place?"

Connor stuffed the envelope in the sack behind his wheelchair. "Yep." He looked at Miles and saw that he was staring past him, at something else. He turned his wheelchair and saw what he was looking at.

It was another one of his best friends: Elise. She was a 16-year-old sophomore like Connor. She'd progressed further in womanhood more than most girls her age. She was immensely beautiful. She walked in Connor's direction in what seemed like slow motion. One of his favorite songs played in his head as she did:

_Last night, I had a dream about you  
In this dream, I'm dancing right beside you  
And it looked like everyone was having fun,  
The kind of feeling I've waited so long_

_Don't stop, come a little closer  
As we jam, the reason gets stronger  
There's nothing wrong with just a little bit of fun  
We were dancing all night long_

Connor and Elise held each other's stares as she opened her locker. She had bouncy, brown-colored hair that split into wavy loops at the bottom. Her eyes were beautiful, with curve-shaped eyebrows and hazel irises. She finally smiled at Connor, and he smiled back.

"What time should I come over?" she asked him.

"I won't be home till 4:30 or 5:00, so maybe… 7:00?" Connor answered.

Elise pulled out a small purple binder and shut her locker. "See you then," she said in a half-giggle voice.

Connor turned away and walked with Miles down the hall.

"You invited _her?_" Miles asked, nearly outraged. "I thought it was just gonna be me and you!"

Connor shrugged as he steadily pushed forward on his wheels. "Well, y'know, things happen. You're overreacting. It's always been the three of us, for as long as I can remember."

"No it hasn't. It's always been you and me or you and her."

"Then tonight it'll be the three of us."

"Yeah, well… something seems 'up' with you two."

"What?" Connor exclaimed, stopping in his tracks. He covered his mouth as he laughed hysterically. "You think… Oh, God… You think something's up between me and Elise? Hahahaha! That's pretty funny, Miles."

Miles was not amused. "I bet it's true."

"Dude, look at me!" Connor said, gesturing towards himself. "I'm a… a torso with arms and two little things sticking out the bottom! She's not into that stuff."

Connor and Miles got to class. They shared many of their classes together, and Connor never hesitated to joke about him and Elise or his body. Unlike Connor, Miles excelled in all of his classes, except Physical Education. After school, Connor stayed late to get help on homework. It was around 4:15 when he left.

He had to get home on foot—or, by wheelchair. Empire City was the largest city in the world. It competed with similar cities like Central City and Westopolis. However, Westopolis had been attacked by a scientist named Ivo Robotnik a few months ago, causing it to lose much of its status as a financial powerhouse. Westopolis was a dangerous city, Central City was a safe city, and Empire City was right in the middle. Crime was always somewhere, but the police of the ECPD put up a decent fight against it. Empire City was home to 12 million people, making it the most populous city in the U.S. Skyscrapers tore through clouds in the sky. Long highways sprawled throughout the city. The city was so immense, at times one would feel like it was _floating._

Connor sped through the sidewalk as fast as his wheelchair could go. He and his grandparents lived in a small house in a small neighborhood near the high school. When the front door came into view, he checked the time on his cell phone. 4:55. A little later than what he wanted, but he was okay with that. He rolled up the ramp leading to the front door and went inside. The house seemed empty, showing no sign up Grandpa Gene or Granny Wilma.

Connor parked his wheelchair into the corner of the living room and carefully hopped down. He waddled into the kitchen .He couldn't go as fast as a person with regular legs, but he was thankful that he could somewhat walk. He couldn't do it too long, or else his stumps would get tired. The kitchen was pitch-black, the darkness not letting him see a thing.

"Hello?" he called out quietly.

The light flashed on, revealing his grandparents, Miles, and Elise before him.

"Surprise!" they yelled cheerfully.

Connor couldn't hold back his smile. "Wow… What's the occasion?" he asked as he pulled a chair out from the table and hoisted himself up.

"Connor, it's your birthday!" Wilma, an old yet lively woman, told him. She went over to him and gave him a hug.

"Happy birthday, pal," said Gene, an equally old but not as lively man.

"Thanks, Grandpa," Connor wheezed, still trapped in his grandmother's tight squeeze. "I thought we weren't starting till 7'o'clock."

"We wanted to surprise you," Wilma explained. "But we had to call Elise here to tell her the change of plan."

Connor heaved for breath when Wilma let go. "Well, it worked."

Gene set a big blue box in front of Connor on the table, then opened it, revealing a delicious-looking cake shaped like a chili dog. Connor wiggled his stumps in excitement. Candles were set out, and everyone sang the Happy Birthday song. He blew out the candles as they finished, then they all dug in. When they were done, Gene and Wilma left to give Connor, Miles, and Elise some privacy.

Connor was on his third piece. "This cake's the best," he said.

Miles was clenching his stomach. "Ohhh… I need to go to the bathroom… See ya!" He bolted out the kitchen, and a few seconds later they heard the bathroom door slam shut.

"So…" Connor began, turning his attention to Elise. "What's up with you?"

She looked at him and smiled. "I'm seeing someone now."

Connor's stomach lurched. "Wh…what?"

"You know Don Richards?"

"The quarterback?"

"Yeah. I'm dating him now."

"Like… a girlfriend?"

Elise nodded.

Connor looked at his cake and forced a smile. "Wow… That's… That's pretty cool, Elise."

Connor could feel her stare on him. "Are you talking to anyone?" she asked.

"No, not really…"

Elise's phone started ringing. She pulled it out of her pocket answered it. "Hello? Hey, babe. Yeah? Uh-huh? No, I'm not doing anything."

Connor lowered his head in shame.

"Yeah? 'Kay, I'll be there in a sec." Elise put here phone back into her pocket. "That was Don. I gotta go, Connor."

Connor grabbed the rest of his cake and shoved it in his mouth. "That's fine," he said with his mouth full. He sat there as she walked out the kitchen and left the house. He grabbed his fork and stabbed his paper plate with it.

Miles came running in a second later. "My parents called. They want me home. See ya, Connor!" With that, he abandoned Connor just like Elise.

Connor hopped off the chair and waddled into the living room. Gene was sitting on the couch, fast asleep, while Wilma was knitting.

She looked up from her work and smiled sympathetically at Connor. "Everybody's gone, aren't they?"

Connor nodded and sighed heavily.

"You've growing up to be a great young man, Connor. Just… Just like… your father." She started to tear up. "If only he could be here with us, celebrating this day with you."

"I'm sure he is. He's out there somewhere, and he knows what today is."

Wilma turned her head away from him. "You should probably held to bed soon. It's late. You three were in there for quite awhile."

Connor shrugged and walked to his room. Sleep didn't sound so bad, actually.

**If Elise being in this story reminds you of an infamous scene from **_**Sonic '06**_**, I will promise you right now that there will be no hedgehog-on-human action in this story **_**at all.**_** That scene disturbed me as well. If Amy could be in this story instead, she would be, but she can't. So don't worry. The version of Elise I'm creating is much different from the Elise in **_**Sonic '06**_**.**


	3. Gene and Wilma's Secret

_8 Years Earlier_

There was a knock on the door. Gene, Wilma, and Connor were in the living room, playing a board game on the coffee table. It had been a month since Jeff and Darla had left for Christmas Island, and Connor had turned eight during their trip. He was starting to adjust to his prolonged visit to his grandparents, but he still missed his mom and dad.

There was another knock on the door, this time more forceful. Gene put down his piece and went over to answer the door. When he opened it, a man dressed in a gray military commander's suit was standing at their doorstep. His posture was tall and upright, standing like he was important and he knew it. He had a yellow folder in his hand.

The man didn't say anything, so Gene spoke first. "Uh… Who are you?"

"I am the highest ranking commander of the Guardian Units of Nations," the man said with authority. "Or, if you prefer, G.U.N."

Gene looked around past the commander. "Er… I don't see an army behind you… Are we in trouble?"

The commander chuckled, but showed no sign of a smile. "Of course not, sir. Are you Eugene Ford?"

"Yes, but I go by 'Gene.'"

The commander gestured toward inside the house. "May I come in?"

Gene blinked, then snapped back to attention. "Oh! Of… of course!" He stepped to the side and let the man in.

The commander walked to the living room without waiting for Gene. He stared at Connor for a long time, then swiped his eyes over to Wilma.

Gene sat back down by Wilma. "This is my wife, and this is our grandson."

"I see," said the commander, who was pacing around the room. "I'm here to deliver some news—" He edged toward the kitchen—"in private."

Gene and Wilma immediately understood and got up to follow the commander to the kitchen. They sat on one side of the table while the commander sat on the other.

"I have some bad news. Jeff and Darla Ford are two archeologists who went to Christmas Island, correct?"

They nodded.

"A week ago two other archeologists found them and their team dead in the caves." The commander set his folder on the table and opened it, revealing photos of Jeff and Darla's dead bodies. "They were fished out of the water and brought outside."

Wilma turned away from the pictures and started crying on Gene's shoulders. Their son and daughter-in-law were dead…

"Can you put these photos away, please?" Gene wheezed.

"I apologize." The commander slid the photos back into the folder with a swift movement. "We don't know what killed them; the entrance to the cave is just a pile of rubble. The people who rescued them said that the cave sta-"

"We don't care," rasped Gene, who was on the verge of tears. "…Do you have anything else?"

The commander paused. "No."

"Then get the _hell_ out of this house."

The commander sighed and slowly stood up. "We'll keep in touch."

"No, we will not," said Gene.

The commander tucked the folder under his arm and, without another word, strode out the kitchen and out the house. He didn't even look at Connor as he walked by.

Gene pursed his lips together and wrapped his arms around his wife as he gently cried with her. He didn't want to know how Jeff and Darla died; it would be too much to bear…

"What are we going to tell Connor?" Wilma asked beneath her sobs.

Gene looked at Connor playing with the game pieces in the living room. Connor was only eight… He wouldn't be able to handle the grief and the despair. It was at that moment when Gene was faced with the most difficult decision on his life.

The old man grouped himself together and said, "Don't worry. I'll handle this." He left his wife crying in the kitchen and sat back down in his spot on the couch.

"Hey, Grandpa?" asked Connor.

"Yeah?"

"Who was that guy?"

"A friend," Gene told him. "He told us something that I think you should hear."

Connor looked at Gene with wide eyes and a smile on his face. "Yeah?" he asked excitedly.

"It's about your mom and dad…."

"Yeah?"

"Well, you're gonna have to wait a little while longer before they get home."

Connor's excitement disappeared. "Why?"

"Well… You know how they are. They have a lotta work to do, and…" He trailed off. He was actually _lying_ to his grandson.

"When are they gonna come back?"

Gene sighed. "I don't know. Nobody knows. All we know is that we're gonna have to wait."

Connor looked at the floor and began to pout.

"It'll be soon, though," Gene forced himself to say. "Just hang in there, pal."

Connor continued to pout. Gene patted his shoulder as he got up and went back to the kitchen.

* * *

Connor never forgot that day. He'd been waiting for eight years, and his parents _still_ hadn't shown up. Did they abandon him forever? Did they just not care? Or was it something else? Had something bad happened to them? Did they get into some sort of trouble? But Connor always wondered… what were they doing now? He never fully understood where they went and why. They were archeologists, weren't they? What could they be doing that took them _eight years?_ Hope started draining from Connor. He was certain that they were never coming back.

Connor climbed into bed. It had been a good day. It ended abruptly, but today still had been good. He was facing a homework-free weekend, and there was still a lot of cake left. He would cook a couple chili dogs for lunch tomorrow, and maybe he would hang out with Miles. Maybe Elise, too.

Connor thought about what Miles had said: _It's always been you and me or you and her._ Was that even true? Miles and Elise were his two best friends. But, Connor was starting to have feelings for Elise he never had before. Whenever he looked at her, he would feel his stomach clench up. Whenever they talked, he struggled, always trying to find something impressive to say. And she was dating the star quarterback of the football team… That infuriated him. He knew Don Richards was a cold, heartless, scheming, and insensitive douchebag. Connor felt like she was the one for him, but he knew he wasn't the one for her.


	4. Heartache and Pain

Connor woke up early the next morning. He looked at the clock. 8:00 am. He groaned and buried his head in his pillow. He hated waking up early because he could never get back to sleep. He rolled out of bed and went to his dresser and got some clean clothes then put them on. His room was messy, but organized. There was nothing lying on the carpet. A guitar sat in the corner. Pictures of him and his parents from when he was three sat on his drawers. He had legs back then, but lost them because of the accident. His bed was basically an air mattress. His grandparents insisted him to let them buy a real bed for him, but he refused. To him a bed was a bed. On top of his dresser was a glass cage with a paper shavings inside. That was where Connor kept his pet, Kermit, a white-bellied hedgehog. He got Kermit a year ago for his fifteenth birthday. Grandma Wilma hated the hedgehog the moment she laid eyes on him and always called him a "vermin." Connor took that name and turned it into "Kermit."

He waddled out of his room and made his way to the kitchen. Wilma was at the stove, while Gene sat at the table reading Empire City's newspaper, _The Empire Sun_.

"Morning, pal," Gene said without looking up from his paper.

"Morning, Grandpa," said Connor as he went over to the refrigerator and opened it.

"What are you doing?" asked Wilma.

"We got any chili dogs left?"

"Not for breakfast, young man. We have pancakes."

Connor closed the fridge and whined. "But I want a _chili dog!_"

Gene was trying to keep in his laughter. "There's a cheerleading competition today. You gonna go and watch Elise?" he asked as Wilma set the pancakes on the table.

Connor hoisted himself up into his chair and said, "I don't know. I bet she doesn't really care if I'm there or not."

"Oh, yes she does," said Wilma. "You two have been friends since I don't know when. That girl is something special."

Connor just shrugged.

"Come on," said Gene. "That's girl's beautiful. And her dad's the mayor."

Connor grinned. "It sounds like you want me to marry her so you get all their money."

Gene shrugged. "That may be true. We could use a couple extra bucks."

"So are you going?" asked Wilma.

Connor poked his breakfast with his fork. "What time's it start?"

"Around 10."

Connor dropped his fork. It hit the table with a clang. "Then I need to go!"

"I thought you said you didn't want to!" Wilma called as he waddled out the kitchen.

_Screw that,_ Connor thought. He was going to show Elise that he was better than some football jock. He got to his room and pulled Kermit out of his cage.

"You're my good luck charm today, little guy," he said. He put the small hedgehog in pocket and went to the living room. He got his wheelchair and pulled it outside. It was a beautiful day. The sky was unusually blue, as it was usually white-hued thanks to the smog. Once Connor got to the sidewalk, he got in his wheelchair rolled as fast as he could to the high school. It would take him hours to waddle there.

Back in the kitchen, Gene and Wilma looked at one another.

"That boy's so full of energy," Wilma said.

"Well, he's young. Remember when we were young?"

"Yes, I do. Do you… Do you think he's old enough?"

Gene furrowed his brow. "Old enough? For what?"

"You know… Old enough to hear the truth?"

Gene understood. "About Jeff and Darla." He thought for a moment. "I don't know. He seems to be doing fine without knowing."

"I've seen him when he's alone, Gene. He looks so… sad."

"A lot of teenagers get sad, Wilma. The feelings he's going through are normal."

"What about Elise? What about his parents? He needs someone."

"Don't worry. He already has us."

Wilma continued cleaning the stove. She looked up, wide-eyed. "Did he leave already?"

Connor pushed his wheels ads fast as they could go. If he got there early, maybe he could see Elise before she performed. She was one of the best cheerleaders the school had ever seen. As a sophomore, she was cheer captain. A cheerleader dating a football player… It of course wasn't unheard of, but Connor felt like there was something wrong about it. He wondered how Don treated her. Did he treat her badly? Did she like it? Connor wanted nothing more than to put her before himself, shower her with love, and treat her kindly, but in today's society it was "pathetic" to do that. Nice guys finish last.

He was sure that he looked like an oddball, having no legs and being in a wheelchair careening down the sidewalk, but he didn't care. He made it to the high school. There was a ramp to the front doors, which he went up. He pressed the handicap button next to the door, making it open automatically. He got to the cafeteria, the first room in the school. The hallways leading to the classrooms were to the right, while the gym was to the left. He headed for the halls and began looking or Elise. The locker rooms were at the end of the hall. Connor wondered if she was in the girls' one.

_Would it be creepy if I hung around here?_ he asked himself. Probably. He did a quick 360 on his wheelchair and got out of the halls as fast as possible, not wanting one of the cheerleaders to spot him.

Kermit stirred in his pocket. He pulled the hedgehog out and looked at him.

"What should I do, Kermit?" Connor asked him. "What should I say to her?"

Kermit wasn't paying any attention; he was busy scratching his face with a paw.

Connor shrugged and put the hedgehog pack in his pocket and made the opening wide enough for air to get through. People were already lining up to the gym. Connor got in line and used an activity pass to get in. He wheeled over to the side of the first row of the bleachers. A blue mat was already set up, and some of the cheerleading were already warming up. Connor looked around for Elise but couldn't find her.

_I bet Don made her late,_ he thought smugly.

Connor waited and waited. More people filled the bleachers. More cheerleaders came out to stretch. Just when he thought she wasn't there, he saw Elise, but she came in from the other side of the gym. Not wanting to yell across the gymnasium, he looked at her, trying to catch her eye. He was a guy in a wheelchair! He wasn't that hard to ignore. She never looked back at him. She never even turned her body toward him.

_Okay, I see how it is,_ he thought as he slouched in his wheelchair. Maybe she was playing a game with him. Maybe she was deliberately not looking at him. He started pretending to look around the gym. If Elise looked at him, he would be looking around instead of looking back.

The cheerleaders exited once the bleachers were jam-packed. Connor was surprised by how many people there were. Loud music suddenly blasted through the speakers, making him jump. The cheerleaders ran back out, and everyone started cheering and clapping their hands.

They began their routine. Connor couldn't count how many of them were being thrown into the air. All of them had on broad smiles, like they were _so_ happy to be there. Connor knew. He always plastered on the same smile himself. He knew what it was like to pretend to be happy. He found himself looking at their legs enviously. He watched one cheerleader do the splits in midair. He felt phantom pains in his stumps as he grew more and more jealous.

Elise was the star of the show. Her kicks were the highest. Her moves were the most fluid. She looked the happiest. She was the prettiest. Connor felt a lump growing in his throat as he watched her. He looked away at his stumps, feeling like he was going to cry.

The routine lasted nearly 45 minutes. The music stopped, and everyone stood up, cheering and yelling and applauding. The cheerleaders shook their pom-poms as they waved to members of the crowd. Elise was looking at Connor waving at him. He smiled at her, and she smiled back. But then he heard someone whooping loudly behind him, screaming, "Yeah! You fine, babe! You _fine!_"

Connor looked back and felt his heart sink. Don Richards was two rows above him, cheering for Elise. He had his buddies around him, cheering on the girls _they_ were dating. Connor looked back at Elise and followed her line of sight. She hadn't been looking at him at all. She'd been looking at her boyfriend. Connor couldn't take it. He wheeled to the nearest exit.

Trying not to cry, Connor heading for the doors. His wheel rolled over someone's foot on the way out.

* * *

Connor sat at the storm drain of a sewer, with Kermit on his shoulder. He was watching the water flow through the gated hole that was the exit to the sewer.

"I want her so much," Connor said to Kermit, but it was more like talking to himself. "

Kermit began nibbling on his ear lobe. Connor winced in pain and pulled the hedgehog off his shoulder and put him on one of his stumps.

_I'm not good enough for her,_ thought Connor. _I'm not good enough for anyone._

Just then, he saw something glowing go through the gated exit. It was hard to see in the water. It flowed to the edge of the storm drain where Connor sat. He looked at it curiosly.

"What is that?" he asked himself. He lay on his belly with his head over the edge. Kermit got on top of his back.

"If you bite my ear again I swear to God…" Connor said to the hedgehog, but didn't finish his sentence.

He was able to get a closer look at the object. It looked like it was a piece of something, but Connor couldn't tell what. He reached for it, wanting to grab it. He stretched his arm as far as it could go. He managed to brush his fingers on it. Suddenly, it flashed and dissolved into his hand. Connor brought his arm up quickly. His hand was glowing cyan now, and the glow was spreading up his arm…

Connor's eyes went wide. "What the hell is this?!"

He couldn't move his body. It felt like a weight was on his back, but the only that was on it was Kermit. The glowing overcame his both arms, then his head and face, then his back. Kermit started glowing too. Connor couldn't tell what was going on, but he started screaming. It was his only way of fighting back. Kermit lost all of his coloring feature and became a cyan-colored silhouette of light. A bright flash covered Connor eyes, and he lost consciousness.

* * *

Chaos was swimming through an ocean when a great pain surged through its body.

"The missing fragment of the Master Emerald has bonded," it said. "_I will extract it from its host's body._"


	5. Waking Up

_Where am I?_

It was dark. The pitch-black sky of night loomed over him. He could hear the faint honking of cars. Connor sat up and looked around. He was on the rooftop of a building. The lights of the streets below shined over the edge of the roof. Connor lay there for a few moments before trying to move. Where was he? Where was his wheelchair? Where was Kermit?

The phantom pains in Connor's stumps were terrible. It felt like his legs were actually there. Connor looked in front of him and saw two flat, toeless feet attached to two long, twig-like legs. He looked at his hands. They were much bigger than usual and had longer fingers. He looked at his stomach and saw that it was oval-shaped and skinny. He felt his head, running his fingers through five thick spike.

_Oh no…_ he thought.

No, it couldn't be! He was dreaming, he knew it! He tried pinching his arm, but his fingers were too big to do so. He grabbed his spikes and pulled on them. He screamed in pain.

_I need to see my reflection,_ he thought. There was an equally tall building close to where he was. There was a ledge next to the windows. Windows… Windows would be perfect! He crawled over the side of the rooftop and looked over the side. It was a straight drop down. There was no place he could land and see his reflection. He didn't want the people below seeing him either. He would have to jump.

He looked at the building again. If could was truly like _him,_ he would make the jump. Connor took a deep breath and tried standing up. It had been years since he'd walked. His heart started pounding as he slowly straightened himself up. Joy started coursing through him. A broad smile had taken over his face. He was standing! Connor, an amputee, was standing!

He tried taking a step forward and fell flat on his face. It was obviously going to take time getting used to his legs, but he didn't care. He rolled over on his back, laughing. He stood up again. He tried taking another step and fell again. Nothing could bring him down. He stood up and took a step. This time he didn't fall. Connor let out another laugh and stepped with his other foot. His steps were more like an awkward march, but as he circled around the rooftop, his walk was becoming steadier and more natural. Soon he was walking in a full stride.

Connor went over to the far side of the rooftop. He looked at the building he was aiming for and focused. If he missed the jump, he wouldn't be too hurt, right? He hoped so. He would have to get a running start. Connor loved running before he lost his legs. Now he could do it again...

He puffed air through his mouth and started running. It was like it was in slow motion to him. Each of his strides were long and wide, like he was doing the splits. One leg would almost touch his nose, and the other almost touched the back of his head. This new body he was given… What did it look like?

Connor got to the rooftop's edge faster than he'd expected. He jumped off, thrusting his arms forward. Still feeling like he was going slow-mo, he sailed through the air. He looked down at the illuminated streets below and began to panic. He couldn't hold in his screams.

Below, a man was walking home from work when he heard yelling. He stopped and listened.

"_Ahhhhh! Ahhh ahhh ahhh! Oh God! Oh no! Ahhhhhhhh ahhh!_"

"What in the sam hill?" the man asked himself.

Connor was now doing involuntarily somersaults as sailed. He crashed face-first into the pavement of the top of the building, sliding to the edge. Connor stood up and brushed himself off.

"That was awesome!" he said aloud. He took a very small jump off the roof and landed on a ledge near the middle of the building. He immediately turned and came face-to-face with his reflection.

"Oh my God…" he said. "I look like… Shadow The Hedgehog…"

It was true. However, Connor's new body was blue, and his spikes hung from the back of his head, unlike Shadow's, whose spikes hooked upwards. To think that he looked like the destroyer of Westopolis… He wondered if anyone could see him looking at the window. Thinking too much, he slipped off the ledge and felon the sidewalk below. People screamed at the sight of him. Their shrieks of terror hurt his ears. He grasped his head, trying to find a way to get out. The only way he could figure out was to run.

Connor took off with a big burst of speed. His legs—his _body_—felt incredibly light. He ran down the sidewalks, going fast and faster effortlessly. He zoomed past an Empire Sun stand, blowing all the newspaper out into the street. Things around Connor were becoming blurry as he ran faster. Feeling confident, he hopped into the middle of the street where he had more room and less people. He smirked as he legs moved faster. He was approaching an intersection, he a semi truck came into his path. Think fast, Connor leapt upward, jumping higher than a building. He came to a tower and slid off the side of it, then wall-jumped off. He flew to the top of another building and landed there. He looked at his hands, still smiling.

"Thank you, Jesus," he said in a happy high-pitched voice.


	6. The Person to Tell

It was late when Connor got home. He'd gone back to the storm drain and found his wheelchair, but didn't find Kermit. A little hedgehog like him couldn't survive in a big city like Empire. He didn't want to believe it, but he knew Kermit would die soon. When he was a few blocks away from his house, Connor had transformed back into regular human form and got in his wheelchair, then rolled home. Gene and Wilma were waiting for him at the front door.

"Uh, him" he said sheepishly as he entered the door to the living room.

"Where have you been, young man?" said his grandmother sternly.

"Easy, honey," said Gene. "He's just a kid. Kids have fun."

Connor hated being called a kid. He had made it clear many times his disdain for that title. "I wasn't having fun. I wasn't doing anything. IU was just hanging around the city. You know I never do anything bad."

It was true. Connor always kept his head down and stayed out of trouble.

"I'm hungry," he said, rolling past them and heading to the kitchen. He opened the refrigerator and found two hot dog franks on a plate wrapped in plastic. He took them out, tore off the plastic wrap, and put them in the microwave.

"What do you think he's been doing?" Wilma asked Gene quietly.

"Hell, I don't know. He does seem a little jittery."

"Smoking?"

"We would've smelled it on 'im."

"Drinking?"

"We would've smelled that, too."

Once the franks were done, Connor put them on buns, then heated up some chili.

"Did you see Elise after their performance?" Wilma asked, trying to spark up a conversation with Connor.

Connor fell silent for a moment, his back turned to them. "No," he finally said.

"Well, did you try?" asked Gene.

"No."

"Connor, f you want Elise, you have to _go after her._"

Connor chuckled. "You think she'd just gonna leave her boyfriend and come to _me?_"

"Don't be like that!" Wilma said. "You know damn well that _you_ are _better_ than some football player!"

"I'm not!" Connor shouted, turning toward them. "He was there today, right behind me, shouting and cheering at her. She didn't even look at me."

The chili was done heating up, so Connor took it out the microwave and put it on his hot dogs. "I'm sorry for yelling," he said, keeping his eyes on his chili dogs.

He felt Wilma touch his shoulder. "Listen. You're a great kid, Connor. If you think you're not good enough for Elise, then you can stop trying to get her. But you can't let that bring you down. You gotta keep getting back on the horse."

Connor looked up and saw that it had actually been Gene talking to him. "Thanks, Grandpa."

After Gene and Wilma left in silence, Connor proceeded to stuff his face.

* * *

Connor turned on the news the next morning. The reporter was standing on a street, near The Empire Sun newspaper stand. It was a cloudy day out, and it was getting cold.

"It was right here where it was found," said the reporter. "A strange being like Shadow The Hedgehog founds it way here last night."

"Oh no…" Connor groaned silently.

The reporter continued by motioning towards the person standing next to him. "This woman saw it last night. Tell us what you saw."

"It was my size," said the witness. "It was real scary-looking. It did look like Shadow The Hedgehog. You know, skinny arms, skinny legs—and he was _real_ fast."

"How fast?" asked the reporter.

The woman shrugged. "Like… _sonic_ fast. He was just gone in a blink of an eye."

The camera panned back on the reporter, and a picture of Connor in his hedgehog form appeared. "It looks like Shadow, but it isn't. If you see it, you can contact our investigative reporters a-"

Connor turned off the TV. He rubbed his stumps as he wondered who'd taken that photo of him. People _hated_ Shadow. They feared him. They were afraid that he would swoop down and level a city, and hopefully it wouldn't be Empire City. But wait… People were afraid of Shadow because he was powerful, and because attacked the police force in a town in Florida. Would people be afraid of Connor if he showed up someplace.

He remembered what the girl said about him: _Like… SONIC fast._ He smiled at that. Sonic… Sonic The Hedgehog. It had a nice ring to it. If Sonic didn't scare people, would they hate _him?_

Connor got out his cell phone and called Miles.

"Hello?" said Miles' voice.

"Dude, get over here. I've got something to show you."

"Wha? What is it?"

"Just get over here, it's really cool." With that, Connor hung up.

He waited nearly thirty minutes for his friend to show up. Once Miles got through the front door, he asked. "Where is it?"

Connor smiled. "In my room."

Miles gave him a confused look. "Connor, what's going on?"

"You gotta promise that you won't tell anyone. And I mean _anyone._"

"Okay. Fine. I promise."

"Great." Connor hopped off his wheelchair and waddled to his room, leading Miles there. Once they were in there, he got on top of his bed. "Ready?"

Miles looked around. "Uh… I don't really see anything important."

"Well, you're about to." Connor closed his eyes and focused. He mentally called forth the power inside him. He opened his eyes, and there was a blue flash of bright light.

"Wah!" screamed Miles.

When the light cleared, Connor was still standing there, but he was in his new body, Sonic.

Miles' eyes went wide as they lay on Sonic. "Wha… Wh-who are you?! What have you done with Connor?!"

"Relax, Miles," Sonic said. "It's me, Connor." He jumped down from his bed, doing a front-flip while doing so. "Whaddya think, huh?"

Miles just stared. "So, you're really Connor?"

"I sure am."

"But… Why? How? What happened?"

"Long story short, I found a shard or something in some water, and when I touched it to pick it up… poof!"

Miles was regaining his composure, slowly. "But… you look like that one guy in Westopolis. Shadow!"

"trust me, I'm very different from him. I'm not gonna hurt anyone, okay?"

"A…Are you able to transform back?"

Sonic closed his eyes and focused again. There was another flash of light, and there sat Connor back in his human form.

"Have you told You-Know-Who yet?" asked Miles.

Connor was confused. "My grandparents?"

"No, no, I mean… Elise."

"Oh." Connor looked down at the floor. "No."

Miles' eyes brightened. "You told me before her? Awesome! Then that mean you trust _me_ more than h-"

"I trust you guys equally," Connor interrupted, raising his voice slightly.

"Well then, are you going to tell her?" asked Miles.

Connor looked back to the floor. "I'm not sure."

"Connor," said Miles. "You need to be careful with this new… _power_ you have. People will be afraid of you. They know you're free like the wind. They can't control you, or at least not yet, anyway, but they'll be afraid of you until they can. You gotta be cautious."


	7. Just Smile

It was 7 pm. Just a good night's sleep away from Monday morning, and a new day at school. Connor was lounging on his bed, pecking his fingers at the keyboard of his laptop computer. He was bored, learning about different types of sheet music for guitar. A lot of the songs were too easy for his level. He had just finished eating dinner with his grandparents, and he felt stuffed to the gills.

Connor sighed as he thought of what next to do. He could watch videos on YouTube or listen to music. He smiled as he came up with an idea; he Googled his name.

Connor Ford. The results he got were just a bunch of Twitter and Facebook accounts that shared his name. He decided to Google his parents: Jeff and Darla Ford.

He actually got something useful. A news article. It was off a website that archived every articles from very newspaper or magazine. He clicked on the link without a second thought.

The title of the article was "Archeologists Found Dead on Island." His mom and dad were archeologists…

He forced himself to read. It said, "Last week, five people were found dead on Christmas Island, a small island in the Atlantic Ocean. The bodies were identified as Harry Richardson, Maggie Richardson, Dmitri Putman, Jeffery Ford, and Darla Ford."

Connor stopped reading. He scrolled to the very bottom of the webpage, where the publish date was. It said December 18, 2005. He was eight when this was published.

Next he Googled Christmas Island. He found out that it was home to the Master Emerald, a giant gem that apparently had magical powers. He Googled the Master Emerald. He found a page that talked about the legend of its origin. It said that the Master Emerald dated back to the time that Earth was created, and how a hideous monster is said to guard. After that Connor found numerous articles on how the deaths of these people proved that the monster is real. He also found many reports on how the Master Emerald's powers could heal the sickly and cure diseases such as cancer. However, no one knew exactly where on the island the Emerald was, until eight years ago.

Connor Googled the Chaos Emeralds and saw many news articles on how Dr. Ivo Robotnik used them to power an airship fleet that would've destroyed Westopolis, but the main ship exploded mysteriously, and the rest of the ships lost power and crashed. Now no one knew where the Chaos Emerald were.

He went back to the article about the people who died at Christmas Island. He read the title over and over again. "Archeologists Found Dead on Island…" He remembered eight years ago, when his grandpa Gene told him that his parents would be gone just a little longer. Did he know that his mom and dad were dead? Did he _lie_ to him? Or was he simply misinformed? Was Gene lied to?

Connor held his face in his hands, trying not to cry.

* * *

He came to school the next day wanting to punch somebody. The news of his parents' death had riled him up. He wanted to let that anger out. The question was… who? He finally got his answer when the final bell rang. School was dismissed until tomorrow. Same as always. Connor hung around in the cafeteria after school to work on homework. He started hearing a girl screaming. Her voice… Connor knew that voice. He could also hear a boy yelling angrily. Connor backed out the table and headed for the source of the noises, leaving his things behind.

Entering the hallway, he saw Elise pinned against a locker by Don, her boyfriend. Taking no second thoughts, Connor wheeled further into the hallway, saying, "Hey!"

Don shot him a deadly glare. "Get outta here, punk."

Elise looked at Connor pleadingly. Tears were streaming down her cheeks.

"Beating up on girls, Don?" asked Connor. "And _your_ girl!"

"She's just a little outta line. I'm setting her back in is all."

"_You're_ the one who's outta line!" said Connor. "What has she done?"

Don didn't answer and only stared at him.

"That's what I thought."

Don grinned maniacally. "You're askin' for it, Ford."

"And I shall receive," Connor said, hopping out of his wheelchair.

"Connor, don't!" screamed Elise.

Don let her go. "You're gonna get your ass kicked, just for her?"

Connor shook his head. "It's _your_ ass that's gonna get kicked, which I know is ironical," he said, gesturing toward his legs stumps.

Don stood there for a second, then shouted, "Alright, bring it, Ford!"

"Let's go, bitchnuts," said Connor as he waddled toward the football player. He towered over the amputee. Connor looked up at him and thought, _I'm an idiot._

He could tell Don saw the fear in him. He may have been a quarterback, but kicked Connor like a punter. Connor was kicked so hard that he literally flew out the hallway. Flying into the cafeteria, he landed on a table, slid off, and fell on the floor. He tried laughing it off, but Don had nailed him near the top area of his gut. Pain seared at his stomach, causing him to gasp for air. He saw Don's feet in front of him. He grabbed Connor by the shoulder and tossed him onto a table. Connor stood up on its surface and faced Don. He tried punching Don in the chest, but with no legs to give him leverage, it turned out to be a weak tap. Don smiled then threw a fist across Connor's jaw. Connor lost his balance and fell off the table.

"C'mon, Ford, get up!" Don taunted.

Connor struggled to get up then looked past Don. Elise was at the hall entrance, covering her mouth with her hand and crying silently. He looked at her, then at Don.

Putting his hands up, he said, "Alright. You win, Don."

Don cocked his head. "Not gonna be that easy." He charged up for another kick and rammed the tip of his shoe into one of Connor's stumps.

Connor screamed at the top of his lungs, but kept his mouth closed. He fell on his butt, clenching his stump in his hand.

"Freak," Don said. He then walked out of the school.

Elise ran to Connor's side and wrapped her arms around his chest, crying into his shoulder. "I'm sorry!" she sobbed. "I'm so sorry…"

He patted her forearm softly. "Hey, it's okay," he wheezed, still in a lot of pain. "Just smile."

Elise sniffed and calmed herself down. She brushed her hair out of her face and looked at Connor. "Are you hurt?"

Connor noticed that her arms were still around him. "Yeah, but I'll be fine," he said, rubbing his stump.

"Connor, did you really go through that… for me?"

He shrugged. "I couldn't just let him treat you like that. What was up with him anyway?"

Elise moved away slightly but was still seated close to him. "He… He was touching me weirdly. He was saying a lot of things that made me uncomfortable. So I slapped him."

Connor tried to keep in his laughter. "You did?"

"Yeah. Then he got mad and shoved me against the locker, and that's when you came."

"Just in time," he said. "Are things gonna be okay with you two?"

"That doesn't really matter right now. The question is, are _you_ going to be okay?"

"Meh, I'm not worried." Connor stood up on his good stump, then tried putting weight on his hurt stump. He winced in pain.

"Tell me how to help," said Elise.

"I really don't need anyt-"

"Connor," Elise said sternly. "You can't do everything by yourself."

"Sure I can."

Elise suddenly wrapped her arms around his waist. They were face-to-face. Elise brought him in closer and lifted him up. She began carrying him like a baby to his wheelchair. He was completely shocked by this. Usually he hated being picked up, but this was different somehow. Elise's hold on him made him feel… safe. His breathing became slow, and the pain in his body vanished. She looked at him with a warm gaze. He stared back mindlessly, never blinking once. He could see it. A spark.

The next thing he knew, he was gently put back onto his wheelchair.

"Are you sure you don't need anything?" she asked.

Connor blinking, returning to reality. He cleared his throat. "Nope."

"A ride home? Anything?"

"Okay," she said, then turned to leave.

Connor watched as she walked out. The warm feeling in his chest was still there. He looked at his injured stump and though of the perfect way to get back at Don.


End file.
